Call to change rules

MINISTER for Social Welfare, Women and Poverty Alleviation Dr Jiko Luveni has urged the Elections Office to consider changing a few rules to allow every person in the outer islands to vote.

The issue was highlighted after a team from the Elections Office made a presentation during the Lau Provincial Council meeting on Friday.

Council members had raised their concerns on an issue highlighted by the team that people could only vote in places where they had been registered.

Totoya District representative Semesa Lesi cited an example of a man being airlifted from the village to Suva and had his name registered in the village. He asked what can the authorities do to ensure that the man could still vote.

Mr Lesi was told by the Elections Office team present at the meeting that the man, in that case, could not vote.

Dr Luveni said the elections team should consider the possibility of cases similar to this happening and should discuss ways in which everybody could take part in the election.

Council members were also told of the one-day poll system, in which some could vote one day before and one day after September 17, which would be a paid public holiday.